Analysis of Strange things and Abraham’s Test

Genesis 16, 19 and Genesis 22 (also known as the Akedah). In Hebrews 11:17 Abraham is called faithful for offering his son as a sacrifice and, therefore, the church has often explained his actions as entirely justifiable. Youth pastor and PhD Janice De-Whyte reads from the perspective of Hagar (the alien, oppressed, other) and the scholars and ministers whose essays comprise chapter 4 of our textbook each treat a different aspect of Genesis 22 (from a distinctive angle and global perspective), which includes the version and interpretation of this story in Islam. For your third writing assignment, I would like you to read these essays and answer the following questions in a critical analytic essay:

Who are the stranGERS, immigrants, and/or aliens in the biblical texts we read this week? Do you see any connection(s) between (or larger themes in) the various stories found in Genesis 12-22? If so, what? Why would Abraham try to bargain with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah but not for the life of his own son? What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah? Do you think Abraham’s actions in each story are ethical? Why or why not? What do you think of God destroying an entire city (that included innocent children) and asking Abraham kill his own son? Should we take the Akedah literally and/or seriously and why? Do any of the biblical stories we read this week relate to contemporary global issues? If so, which ones? (Read the GPB essays attentive to the authors’ “close” readings of the text and let them be an example for your own reading and reflections.)

A complete assignment will (1) be at least 750 words, (2) will analyze Abraham’s identity and actions, (3) incorporate at least three of the assigned essays from chapters 3 and 4, and (4) will critically reflect upon the biblical text and each scholar’s argument utilizing the 3 worlds of the text (B.I.F.). In other words, treat the world behind (historical context), the world inside (literary context), and the world in front of the text (that is, the reader’s response, [i.e., the writer of each essay and yourself]). In your conclusion, briefly reflect upon how each of these worlds has influenced and continues to influence the Bible and its interpretation